The Walt Disney Company is known for entertaining people and inspiring them through the power of their storytelling, creative minds and innovative technology throughout the world. It was founded in 1923, and was known as the Disney brother’s studio and continues to bring classic and memorable family entertainment over the world. Walt Disney decided to set up Disneyland because he assessed a need to have a nice place for children and their parents to play together. The company grew with more production houses, theme parks, feature films, television networks, theater productions, consumer products and a growing online presence. Disney characters have played a significant role as an influence and entertaining figure in the lives of most adults these days. Today, Disney operates its business in five business divisions which are: the Walt Disney Studios which specializes in producing films, recording labels and theatrical shows, Parks and Resort which manages in eleven theme parks, cruise line and other travel-related assets, Disney Consumer Products which markets all Disney-brand production, Media Networks which focuses on its television network - the Disney Channel and Interactive Media. We can see that Disney serves all entertainment products for the entire family to reach to connect more effectively with its core consumers. The Walt Disney Company’s most recent, slight change in the target market has come from their new ideas of marketing and expanding. To reach kids and teens to promote Disneyland’s 50th anniversary this year, Walt Disney Co. will use one of the hottest – and most controversial – gimmicks in the media business: “advertising.” Seeing as how the age-range of people that play video games are a little older than kids, they will be targeting at a teenager level. The attempt to expand Disney into a wireless network also stems the interest of an almost different type of target market. “The Walt Disney Co.’s decision to launch a wireless service aimed at its best customers – pre-teen children and their families – have focused a spotlight on two significant industry trends: the growing segmentation of services marketing and a fascination with the hottest of those segments, the youth market.” (1) Discuss how understanding factors influencing consumer behavior have helped Disney to stay connected with its core consumers? (2) What are the risks and benefits of expanding the Disney brand in new ways such as interactive and augmented games?